Queen of Blood

Once Arline chose to get out of the King’s chambers, it was the beginning of the afternoon. A cold breeze slipped through the castle’s windows and made the corridors more chilly than usual. She forced her tired and weak feet to go to the kitchens where Pauline was waiting for her with a delicious smelling dish.

“I was wondering when were you going to come down,” the old maid said to her from the table and Arline only approached with slow steps, heavily sitting in front of the plate. Turning a little bit pale at the sight of food.

“I- I can’t eat,” Arline whispered for Pauline but she said nothing and stood by her side. “His orders, right?” The maid only nodded, so she gave in and ate as much as her stomach allowed her to.

Pauline let Arline talk, listening carefully to everything she had to say. She didn’t cry this time. Her tone was filled with anger and wanted justice but she knew she would have to wait for it. Arline spent the rest of the day in front of the consuming fire of the dining room alone, curled up on the floor. When the comfort of the fire was interrupted by a crude cold breeze.

At first, she thought of Merrick but the smell of Jazmin invaded the place. She remembered Valerya was also a guest in the castle and she rapidly stood up and was getting ready to make a reverence when the Ice Princess stopped her. “Do not think of doing such thing,” Valerya grabbed her by the shoulders and hugged her, pressing her cold skin to hers, making the Heir shiver. “You do not deserve to carry the guilt of what happened last night.”

“Everything that happened last night was my fault,” she said going back to sit in front of the fire. She couldn’t keep herself up due to the pain and the tiredness that invaded her body.

Valerya took one of the diamond earrings from her ear as she sat next to her and showed it to Arline. “I used to think the same as you. Until I realized death is part of destiny, no matter if it’s fair or not,” the Princess looked at the piece of jewelry with nostalgia in her hard eyes, reminiscing of who it had belonged to.

Both women stayed in the room until the servants began entering to set things up for dinner. Merrick had called for her in the Council Room, and she went with Valerya by her side until they reached for the door. When the guards allowed her in, the Dark Prince was looking down at a map, lifted his head and his face lit up at the sight of his beloved Arline.

His embrace was warm and tight, making her feel like the King was her safe place where she could run to if she was in distress. “How are you feeling?” He asked her with a tilt of her chin to scan her properly.

But Arline didn’t speak and only wrapped her arms around his torso. The King could feel her heart beating faster than usual. Arline was angry and scared. “If you are with me, you are safe,” he said for her one more time but she only nodded silently. “What do you want me to do, Arline? Ask and I’ll do, my love,” Merrick was almost begging her for a sound out of her lips.

He refused the idea of Arline wanting to kill and destroy every living thing. He despised the idea of her silence being the result of her choice to numb her grieve and pain. Arline’s eyes were becoming darker than usual due to her power overtaking her. But she didn’t respond and just stood on the balcony, letting theair of the mountains hit her face, her cheeks turning red with the harsh cold wind.

That balcony looked at Mount Suvlic, having a direct take to the sea that opened to the rest of the world. The night lacked stars and clouds covered the Moon, making the sky so dark it blended perfectly with the body of water.

Merrick wasn’t going to leave her like that. Silently crumbling to her feet. He went behind her and whispered in her ear, locking her in between his arms against the railing. “I know you can hear them, do not pretend in front of me.”

Arline didn’t move. “They are desperate,” she said. “So eager of my return to the sea, for him to just consume me,” Arline sounded like one of his mermaids and it drove Merrick to the edge.

“Come back to me,” he said in her ear, breathing lightly on her earlobe to make her focus on him.

“I want to-” She was using a melodic voice on him and Merrick cut her off.

“I will not lose you to madness,” he then made her direct her full attention to the sea and said on her ear. “Order them to stand by.”

“Zeydar protects the coast,” her voice was back to normal and using her senses.

“They are also your soldiers.”

Every part of her body focused on making them go away. So much to the point the screeching of hundreds of mermaids made when she tortured them before letting them go was like the sound of nails on chalk.

“Arline!” Merrick turned her around by her arm. Angry. He was angry at her for using her powers that way.

“Why do you despise it so much if I do it?” She complained.“When you do it is fine but I can’t-”

“Your thirst for death has worsened,” angry and all, Merrick still kept his tone in check with her.

“They cursed me with the Queen of Blood, what the hell do you expect from me?!” Arline yelled at his face as she escaped him and was reaching for the door when the strength of the Dark Prince put her body over his shoulder and headed down the stairs, to the stables.

Merrick placed her on his horse and rode straight to the top of Mount Suvlic. All of it while she tried to free herself from his grip unsuccessfully and cursing him out with tears on her eyes.

“Turn back Merrick,” she begged him when she saw the red soil on the mountain. “Please Merrick turn around, I’m sorry,” Arline sounded desperate.

“I’m assuming you know the reason of your naming as Queen of Blood,” he said as he put her down from his horse and she nodded. “Show me where.”

Where Alastair Maridian almost took her life. Where he had caged her on her stomach and carved her back like she was a piece of clay. Arline let her memories of the battle guide her to where she almost lost her life. She froze when they reached the intimacy of that part of the woods.

Arline didn’t want to be there.

The place where her blood had spilled and watered the ground, burning part of the grass.

Merrick grabbed her hand and approached the edge of the small lake. First he made a cut on the palm of his hand and let his blood spill on a part of the grass. The soil smoked at the touch of his red blood and left a patch of brown grass. Then they knelt in front of the lake.

“I will have your temper and powers controlled until the execution. After that, you can burn down the High Council if you want, and I will help you,” he said with a cold tone and looked at her complexion. Radiant thanks to the moonlight leaking through the trees.

Arline’s expression dropped when she saw what his blood had done on the ground. How it reacted the same way it had done with hers.

The small but deep pond was warm and spitting steam from its surface. Merrick undressed quickly and got in the water, relaxing his body and mind.

“Come to me Goddess of Tides, I am yours to own,” Merrick said with a grin and laid his head back. His entire torso was marked with his golden scars and it was reflecting on the night.

Arline was stupefied at what she was seeing and couldn’t, wouldn’t move her eyes away from him. Merrick looked like a god himself, not a mere, mortal king. The Heir followed his example, and took her clothes off slowly, not minding the shattering cold of the lonely night and stepped into the water.

She approached the Dark Prince swimming like a mermaid, slightly moving the water, letting her hair have the perfect flow and be embedded with sea pearls. Arline didn’t touch him when she was in front of him.

“Your blood,” Arline began. “How?”

“Holy blood,” he said pulling her closer, feeling her skin. “Do you understand know my love? Why everyone wants us dead? Why we signify a threat to some?” Every word was followed by a burning kiss on her pale skin. “Do you understand why we are meant for each other?” Merrick stopped his kissing to look at her.

“You are the God of Light and Shadow,” his grin grew at her realization, as well as his desire for her. “Heir of Hazavana.”

“And you are the soon to be Goddess of Tides,” Merrick looked at her with love in his eyes as he said those words. “No one stands a chance, not even Pelagius.”

Merrick continued to leave a trail of kisses all over her skin. As Arline took in the feeling of warmth of their skins pressing into each other and his kisses, her mind remembered how Pelagius had tried to push her away from Merrick.

How the idea of an alliance with the Dark Prince, terrified Pelagius to his core. It made sense now that the High Council wanted both of them dead. Why the High Institution despised him and feared them both.

When Merrick was around nine years of age, Hazavana herself appeared in Reiska in her true form and passed her powers to him. Making that child swear to protect the few that were like him. Leaving him with the challenge of learning how to control her powers and handle the pain that came with them. That is how he was turned into a threat to the Council at the bare age of nine. Merrick Dortamus had been a god for most of his life.

“I need your help Merrick,” Arline said trying not to touch him but he made her wrap her arms around his neck. “Just help me,” she begged him.

“I am at your service Arline,” he whispered gripping her waist closer to him. It seemed out of place for a god to plead service to a woman, but she was moments away from becoming a goddess. And Arline was the soulmate of the God of Light and Shadow. Whatever she wanted, he was going to give it to her.

Merrick wanted her in that moment, right in the water. In her element. But gathered his thoughts and stepped out, changing into his clothes. Arline followed his actions and then began heading down the mountain, leaving the horse behind.

He directed her to the Ptelea Cave. Where the mermaids were calling her name and hissing at the presence of Merrick. He chose to sit back in company of the wyvern and the Red Menace to enjoy the spectacle about to begin.

So many of his soldiers were above water and Arline could only imagine how many were swimming under her feet. Merrick’s only request was to send them away, no conditions on what method to use. He was letting her do whatever she pleased.

Arline thought she had it all under control but then she remembered Lila, the kelpie, how unable she had been to help her. And any kind of control over her powers dissipated as smoke that travels with the wind. She made the mermaids beg for their lives once again, calling for their master.

Some of them succumbed to the pain and others wanted to attack her. Zeydar didn’t need a command to protect Arline and came down one of the walls and roasted them, leaving a number of members of his guards consumed by the fire.

Those who were lucky enough to escape her torture were going back to Pelagius. To let him know about how powerful and vengeful his Heir was turning out to be.